Anything Can Happen
by tellyourheartheadsup
Summary: They've dodged each other's paths for long enough since the end of their short-lived romance a few years ago. With the interruption of AJ and Team Hell No in their busy lives, maybe it's about time Dolph and Kaitlyn are pushed back together. One-shot.


**Anything Can Happen  
**_AN. A long time OTP of mine! I've been feeling very inspired for these two recently so here's a one-shot. Enjoy!  
_

* * *

**_The Past_**

* * *

The first time Dolph and Kaitlyn officially met was when they were paired up for a mixed tag match on NXT.

Kaitlyn can remember the moment vividly; barely signed to WWE with little to no experience, she was now being put on national television to compete with someone who, as her mentor Vickie Guerrero had said at the time, was bigger and better than everyone. As for her own opinion, she knew little about Dolph Ziggler—just that he was cocky, arrogant and... oddly enough, just her type.

Dolph Ziggler _didn't _want to remember the moment vividly. He was better than NXT – a show that was supposedly all about highlighting upcoming talents, when all he could see backstage was nobodies who wouldn't live to see a single WWE pay-per-view. _He_ was the star and the future. So, what the hell was he doing here being paired up with some ditz of a new diva who didn't know her way around the ring?

Then something happened.

He and Kaitlyn had won their match. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, they had made a great team and it was their hands raised when the dust settled. They had hugged—more than once, Dolph can remember now. Maybe it was her enthusiasm about getting the win that he began to admire... or maybe it was just the feel of younger skin against his, having been used to Vickie's cougar grip for far too long. Either way, he liked the close proximity.

Vickie could tell too. Time and time again, the spiky-haired woman told her protégée that Dolph was off-limits and to back off. Kaitlyn understood the viciousness behind her words: Dolph Ziggler was _not_ for her and never would be. However, the more Vickie put her through her paces—setting her up to get destroyed by the then-existing Laycool for example—the more Kaitlyn was pushed towards crossing that line.

Then – one night – it happened. She had been through silly contests as usual on the show, including a memorable kissing contest featuring Hornswoggle and Cody Rhodes, and it had made her think hard about what she really wanted. About _whom_ she really wanted to be kissing.

In true backstage fashion, the cameras – and the whole nation - caught what was supposed to be a secret moment with Dolph. She hadn't known how the whole kiss came about; just that it had, that it had felt right, and if AJ and Primo hadn't interrupted, she was sure they wouldn't have stopped there. There was a chemistry between them that neither had bothered to fight anymore.

Then it just... fizzled out. With no warning, both were thrust back into their daily lives, with Vickie clenched tighter than ever around her man and Kaitlyn working hard to win the third season of NXT. All was forgotten...

Until a few years later when they were reunited again.

* * *

Following Kaitlyn's win of the yellow-roped show, she returned to the familiar NXT hallways to fight with Maxine for the attention of Derrick Bateman.

Dolph had only known about this by chance. A replay of the lacklustre show was on repeat in catering and he had caught one of their backstage segments; an over-friendly conversation and high five between the pair had been enough to make him want to roll his eyes skywards. He would have done so, too, had he not convinced himself that the sight of her and some random guy wasn't any of his concern anyway. He was still with Vickie at this point and he knew that should have been all that mattered.

Either way, Dolph found himself starting to pay attention to the show just that little bit more. With every advance Kaitlyn made on her supposed 'best guy friend', he grew a little more agitated, a little more curious as to why she was wasting her time on a nobody like him. She had won NXT's third season, for God's sake, wasn't it time she paid more attention to making a name for herself on Smackdown and less attention on guys? Especially someone like Derrick Bateman.

Eventually, Kaitlyn got what she wanted and Maxine was out of the picture, leaving she and Derrick to parade around as the cliché best-friends-turned-into-lovers pair they were. Thinking of it now, it still left an uncomfortable feeling in his gut. Surely that wasn't real life? Really, where would _that_ relationship go?

Dolph's instincts were right.

While he wowed the crowds on a weekly basis, Kaitlyn and Derrick made only a handful of appearances together before ultimately coming to an amicable split. The cameras didn't have time for a love story that had already been played out and the two were yesterday's news. Kaitlyn finally cut ties with NXT and focused on improving her moves in the ring for a chance to be seen as a real contender on the main two shows.

He had seen her backstage once in catering at a Smackdown taping. In a a rare moment alone—Vickie was not by his side for some reason, not that he cared—he had just stared at her, debating whether or not to go up and talk to her. They hadn't really seen each other since their former moments.

There was the occasional glimpse at each other... the one that said there was a story there but it had been lost, that there was no reason to be looking at each other like this... and then the awkward look away. Nothing since then, however.

Maybe he would have gone up to her and made a joke out of something stupid just to break the ice... maybe, had it not been for AJ Lee bouncing up to her best friend's side and capturing her attention instead.

Dolph had dropped his shoulders, recognising the moment as lost, and turned on his heel to go and find the woman he dreaded to have by his side. On his way back to the locker room, he had wondered what he was thinking anyway. He and Kaitlyn had never been an item... it was _just _a make-out moment which gave him a break from an overbearing Vickie Guerrero and her a sense of who the hottest commodity around was.

Theirs was a moment that had no need to be repeated.

* * *

Perhaps unbeknownst to her, AJ Lee cropped up again to interrupt any proceedings that may have happened between Dolph and Kaitlyn. Late 2012 was the moment when AJ decided that ruining a friendship between herself and Kaitlyn, latching onto various guys, and playing mind games was simply not enough for her. The petite woman wanted _all _the attention for herself... and that included taking Dolph Ziggler out of Vickie's arms with a pretty little smirk.

Kaitlyn had been watching the monitor when it happened. Seeing her ex-best friend literally jump onto her ex-make out partner to straddle him had been a shocking sight to see... or maybe she shouldn't have been shocked with the way AJ had been acting recently, but alas the feeling was there all the same. The blonde had swallowed down a lump in her throat, unable to work out why her mood had dropped so significantly in the moment, only knowing that this was wrong_. _

_So wrong._

Dolph Ziggler was finally out of Vickie Guerrero's grip and into AJ's, and the newest power couple of wrestling was declared.

It wasn't a joy to watch the two parade around together as if they were the spitting image of true love. On more than one occasion, Kaitlyn would shake her head or roll her eyes at just the image of the pair together. Both were acting ridiculously, and on some level, she thought they both knew that. She knew Dolph wasn't AJ's type, that she was just holding onto the next person most likely to win a championship, and as for Dolph... well, he liked the bad side to girls', but never the crazy type.

After a particularly gruelling training session, Kaitlyn had seen Dolph alone heading towards catering. That was where she had been going to reward herself for working so hard recently. Eve Torres was tough work to beat and was stubborn in holding onto that championship. Seeing him made her stop in her tracks. It wasn't often that both of them had the opportunity to be alone; she always had Layla to hang out with and he was - predictably - always accounted for. But Layla was at a media event with Kofi Kingston today and Dolph was alone.

Did she particularly want to speak to him? Deep down, she knew that she did, but it was the reasoning for it that wasn't clear. Why was it that he seemed to be a permanent fixture in her mind?

Finally, Kaitlyn decided not to go in for the kill. If she did, Dolph would more than likely give her an arrogant smirk and boast about being with her best friend now... if he remembered their time together at all. No, she didn't want that conversation. So she turned on her heel to head back to the women's locker room, figuring she could grab a late lunch instead.

If only she had known of what was to come.

* * *

Cody Rhodes re-emerged into Kaitlyn's life unexpectedly.

The hallways of whatever arena they happened to be in every week for each show were always difficult to avoid people in, and it seemed like finally the diva's champion had run into someone she hadn't intended to. The segments that followed between them had been awkward but somewhat endearing to the audience. Even Kaitlyn found herself warming up to him... or perhaps it was just his moustache that did it for her.

Despite having Big E Langston and AJ by his side—they made quite the formidable team these days—Dolph _somehow_ found the time to keep up to date with what was going on in Kaitlyn's life. She and Cody appeared each week but never progressed in their odd dynamic, which made him want to gag. What the hell were these two doing anyway? They seemed to be dancing around each other but never really solidifying their relationship. If Cody was a man, he would have stopped making stupid jokes and giving her bottles of water as if he was some kind of saviour and just _gone _for it.

Nothing continued to happen for a while... until The Bella Twins returned. He had been surprised to see the pair back on camera, and even more surprised - much like Kaitlyn herself - to find them latch onto Team Rhodes Scholar. Or maybe he shouldn't have been surprised. The twins did have a penchant for draping themselves on either side of valuable superstars.

With Cody distracted by the pair, and Nikki in-particular, Kaitlyn cut ties with him and went back to her solo ways, focusing on her competitors instead. Dolph had a lot on his plate too; Team Hell No were starting to attract their attention and the pairing of Daniel Bryan and Kane, two former flames of AJ's, needed to be destroyed.

Still, Dolph couldn't help but smirk to himself one day while taping up his wrists, as the thought crossed his mind that Kaitlyn and Cody would certainly not be locking lips again.

* * *

_**Present Day**_

* * *

Just as easily as things can fizzle out, they can easily re-appear too.

Dolph Ziggler paces the men's locker room backstage in a peaceful moment alone. He cherishes AJ's absence, noting to himself that without the woman's loud presence he feels more hassle-free. Big E Langston is with him but is too wrapped up in a pre-match ritual: brooding to himself in the corner and flexing his muscles. Dolph doesn't understand the activity as such but also doesn't question it - his mind is on other things.

In just a matter of minutes he'll be going out there for the Smackdown taping to participate in a mixed-tag match. These matches aren't usually his thing but the fixture is an interesting one. It'll be him and AJ against Daniel Bryan... and Kaitlyn. After a good couple of years apart, he and Kaitlyn have been pushed back together again and it feels... exciting. He plays down the feeling, of course, but no longer bothers to deny it to himself.

Dolph wonders what'll happen. No doubt AJ will use her cunning ways out there to get the advantage over Kaitlyn much like she did on the most recent Monday Night Raw, defeating her former friend in true heel style. But won't Kaitlyn have redemption on her mind? The blonde never does get the upper hand when it comes to facing AJ. Surely it's time to prove herself worthy of defeating the unhinged woman?

For once, he isn't thinking about how to defeat his opponent, Daniel Bryan, with the most amount of ease and style possible. Instead he is thinking about the ladies of the match and how that is going to play out... how it'll feel to be in the opposite corner of a woman he'd once been teamed with.

It's bound to be a memorable evening.

**-x-**

Kaitlyn has her game face on as she makes her entrance with Team Hell No. She finds it hard to believe that she's teaming up with a guy she doesn't like (Daniel Bryan) and a guy who at the start of last year was a monster (Kane). Still, it's happening, and she makes her way down to the ring with the popular pair, her eyes locked on the opponents already in the ring.

AJ has been on her mind heavily, but out of the corner of her eye she sees Dolph, and suddenly she's trying not to look at him instead. It just feels weird to be in this position right now. However, memories of teaming up with him years ago on NXT are pushed out of her mind. Right now it's time to focus on getting her revenge on her former best friend. If this is the match she has to compete in to prove it then so be it.

The match lasts for a good five minutes or so.

Dolph is unsure what to do when Kaitlyn tags herself in, almost wanting to stay in the ring to... to do what? He doesn't know - perhaps just to be in close proximity with her once more. It's weird to be this close yet so far from her. However, AJ's automatically tagged in and the ladies go at it. Despite his personal feelings, he plays up to his heel role, distracting Kaitlyn so that AJ can get the upper hand... but that upper hand doesn't last long. Big E and Kane get involved, Dolph and Daniel take it to the outside, leaving Kaitlyn to finally get her spear to end the match.

Although she feels good for picking up the win, the champion finds her attention finally moving onto Dolph, who is being helped up to his feet by Big E. He looks like he needs the support after Daniel's attack and a part of her is happy... finally, he and AJ can't brag about an undeserved win and she can walk around with a smile.

However, he catches her eye and they stare at each other. It lasts for only a moment in reality but feels like so much longer. That history is there between them and both can feel it, but then Kaitlyn turns to check on AJ, just to make sure that the diva is down for good. Dolph begins to focus on staying upright and getting his breath back, all the while glaring at Daniel and Kane as they lean over the ropes to assert their dominance. This feud is far from over.

Later on in the locker room, Dolph smirks to himself. The match may have been lost for his team but if he knows one thing about AJ, it's that she can't leave things as they are. He looks up and sees this: AJ is pacing the room, letting her crazy side loose and muttering furiously to Big E about just how sorry Kaitlyn will be. The future world heavyweight champion leaves her to it and continues getting changed.

All that's on Dolph's mind is Kaitlyn and the fact that they'll be crossing paths once again. He has no idea what'll happen, and it's likely that neither does she, but he's looking forward to the rest of the build-up to Wrestlemania. He and Kaitlyn are back in each other's lives and anything can happen.

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
